Posted by Pete Smith on December 6, 2008, 9:48 pm
86.153.201.161
The Advertiser (UK)
28 November 2008
The Cattle Bandits, from Illinois, are rock ‘n’ roll hillbillies, guys who can really rock without losing sight of their country roots, a band that can keep a dance floor full or leave an audience requiring foot massages from excessive toe tapping. They are really that great! And lead singer Eric Gordon will probably hate me for saying that for he dislikes the band’s music being categorised. I can understand that for the sound these five guys make is one that will appeal to several musical markets. Sorry Eric but I write what I hear and what I hear on “Homegrown” is some of the best country rock I have heard in a long time. Gordon penned all of the eleven songs and though the entire album is supercharged each track has a different approach and sound guaranteed to keep the listener pressing that replay button. Though the Bandits have been around for about seven years this is the debut album and from the first listen one can understand why these guys were chosen to open for such headliners as Neal McCoy, Gene Watson, David Allan Coe, Doug Supernaw and John Anderson. I spend a lot of my life chasing up and down the motorways and constant playing of this album has kept me sane whilst sitting in those never ending peak time traffic jams. Check out, “Cowboy Man”, “Barn Dance”, “Saddle Up” and “Downtown Nashville”. www.cdbaby.com/cd/cattlebandits
Today (28 November) marks the eighty-third anniversary of the very first broadcast of the WSM Barn Dance. The show was beamed from the fifth floor of the National Life and Insurance Company building in Nashville and host George D. Hay (The Solemn Old Judge) introduced an eighty-year old fiddler named Uncle Jimmy Thompson who, he claimed, could fiddle the taters off a vine. Jimmy, seated in front of a carbon microphone, fiddled whilst his niece, Eva Thompson Jones, provided piano accompaniment. After Jimmy had played for an hour Hay asked if he had had enough. Jimmy replied, “Why shucks, a man don’t get warmed up for an hour. I just won an eight-day fiddling contest down in Dallas and here’s my blue ribbon to prove it”. Soon after this initial broadcast the Barn Dance became a regular Saturday night feature and in December of 1927 was renamed the Grand Ol’ Opry. It was exactly forty-four years today (28 November) that Willie Nelson made his first appearance on the Grand Ol’ Opry and completing today’s anniversaries, seventy years ago Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys first recorded the legendary “San Antonio Rose”. This version though was an instrumental and in April of 1940 it was re-recorded with Tommy Duncan adding a vocal.
Remember there are stars in the southern sky.
5 December 2008
Michelle Wright was born into a musical family in Ontario, Canada. Her father was a country musician and her mother a singer so it was little surprise that Michelle started to exercise her vocal chords as a child and by the time she was in college was singing in bands. She eventually formed her own band and spent five years touring North America and Canada. In 1988 she recorded her debut album, “Do Right By Me”, for the Savannah label. The album brought Michelle to the attention of Arista in Nashville. The lady’s rhythm and blues tinged country easily found a market thirsting for a fresh sound and garnering for Michelle more that thirty awards, 25 top singles (including seven chart toppers) and five gold and two multi-platinum albums. Now comfortably back on the Savannah label, Michelle has released her first seasonal album aptly titled “A Wright Christmas”. The twelve songs are a blend of yuletide favourites and time tested carols performed to perfection by one of the best female voices in the business. The arrangements are fantastic as defined by the haunting “Joy To The World”, the funky “Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer”, the beautiful “Silent Night” and the rousing Gospel shout “Go Tell It On The Mountain”. This really is Christmas at its very best enhanced by the Wright performances of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”, “Jingle Bell Rock”, “Little Drummer Boy”, “Christmas Song”, “Winter Wonderland”, “O Come All Ye Faithful” and the new composition “I Know Santa’s Been Here”. www.michelle-wright.com
This year marks the tenth anniversary of Karen Lynne’s recording career, a decade that has seen the release of seven albums and numerous hit singles and has put several awards in the Australian’s hands. As a celebration of this event Karen has released the compilation “The Singles” (Shoestring) a collection of fifteen tracks culled from her albums, most of which have made the Australian charts. For the newcomer to the world of Karen it also shows just how talented this lady is. Karen’s voice will have an immediate impact with its beauty, expression and clarity. The listener will no doubt be astounded as Karen easily moves from a tender country ballad to a bluegrass foot-tapper accompanied by her band Acoustic Shock. More in-depth listening reveals a major song writing talent as wonderful original songs like “This Ring” and “Grandma Used To Say” lay comfortably alongside titles such as the Louvins classic “You’re Running Wild” and Hank Locklin’s “Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On”. The collection closes with a neat Video clip of “Second Wind”. Karen is one of those rare performers who perform mainstream country and bluegrass with consummate ease. Congratulations on the first ten years Karen - Here’s to the next!
www.karenlynne.com
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